Quick-release device for attrition or other mills.



No. 782,933. I PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905. J. WALDRON.

QUICK RELEASE DEVICE FOR ATTRITION OR OTHER MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1901.

Mai/1 35 5 5108/2507? No. 782,933. E PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

- J. WALDRON.

QUICK RELEASE DEVICE FOR ATTRITION OR OTHER MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED'NOV. 11, 1901.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

PATENT OEEIoE.

JOHN WALDRON, OF MUNOY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SPROUT,

WALDRON & COMPANY, OF MUNOY, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

QUICK-RELEASE DEVICE FOR ATTRITION OR OTHER MILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,983, dated February 21, 1905.

Application filed November 11, 1901. Serial No. 81,869.

To all whom, it Wen/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WALDRON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muncy, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Quick-Release Devices for Attrition or other Mills; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same;

This invention relates to attrition and other mills for grinding and crushing grain, and more particularly to means for efiecting an instantaneous release of the pressure by which the grinding disks, plates, or burs are held together or in operative relation to each other.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an easily-operated and efficient quickacting device without lost motion whereby an instantaneous release of the grinding-surfaces may be effected, allowing them to separate, so that the mill may run without grinding or to permit the passage of any foreign substance liable to injure the mill and be again restored to the same position as before without disturbing the arrangement or affecting the adjusting devices by which -said surfaces are yieldingly held together and the quality of the work regulated so that the grinding maybe resumed either the instant after being released or any time thereafter without necessitating any readjustment to restore the grinding-surfaces to their original position for grinding or reducing the grain to the same degree as before being thrown out of action.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings, in which corresponding parts in different views are denoted by similar reference-letters, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of a portion of an attrition-mill with my improved quick-release device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side viewof the quick-release device and its connections detached. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the device shown in Fig. 1, the shaft of the grinder being shown in cross-section; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a springactuated device cooperating with the quickrelease.

In the drawings the letter A denotes adriving shaft or spindle, on which may be secured a runner-head within the casing B and carry ing a suitable grinding plate or surface confronting a similar grinding-surface. One of said surfaces may be stationary, if desired, or both may rotate. In the arrangement shown the runner-head is secured to the shaft A, so as to revolve therewith. Motion may be imparted to the shaft by a belt (or otherwise) on the pulley O, driven bysuitable power, the

' shaft being journaled in bearings D E, mounted upon the standards or supports F F', rising from a suitable base or platform G, to which said standards may be secured in any suitable manner.

H denotes the quick-release device combined with an end-thrust bearing and means for holding the shaft, with the runner-head thereon, in proper relation to the confronting runner-head or grinding-surface, preferably by means of a spring-pressed step-box to adapt the latter to yield and permit the passage of foreign substances, which are liable to clog the mill or cause breakage, and to instantly restore the grinding-surfaces to proper working position after the passage of such substance. The said releasing device consists of a forked or bibranched lever I,the two arms of which are bell-crank-shaped and provided with a commonhandle I for manipulating the said lever to eflfect the desired release of the grinding-surfaces. The shorter arms 2' of the two branches of the lever I are pivoted to a oted to the rear curved'or bowed ends of a while any extraordinary pressure liable to pair of bars or links L,the other ends of which are pivoted to a sleeve or collar K on the step-box, the pivotal connections of the latter being effected by shoulder-bolts similar to the bolts Z: and entering screw-threaded sockets in bosses Z72 on the collar K. The step-box K has a flange or shoulder m at one end, and between it and the interior of the casing K sufficient space is provided to receive and house a stout coiled or other suitable spring M, which is interposed between said shoulder and the sleeve or collar K one end of which extends slightly into the rear end of the casing K and may be adjustably secured therein by meansof an ad justing-nut N, preferably of the Winged or finger nut type, for convenience in adjusting the said sleeve and step-box telescopically and regulating the tension of the spring, said nut engaging the exteriorly screw-threaded portion of the step-box K. Within the stepbox to receive the end thrust of the shaft A- may be placed any suitable bearing-plate or device against which the end of the shaft may abut; but 1 preferably employ an antifriction device, which may, consist of a series of balls placed between chilled plates 0, and an adjusting-screw P, screwed into a set-nut p, which latter is screwed into the end of the step-box K, the stem, of the adjustingscrew having a jam-nut p thereon, whereby it may be locked in any desired position with its inner end abutting against the outer chilled plate and opposing the end thrust of the shaft. For convenience in adjusting the screw P it may be provided with a hand-wheel P. By these means the antifriction devices may be adjusted from time to time to compensate for wear or as may be necessary to secure the parts in the desired position, and, as will be observed, the force or recoil of the spring M is constantly exerted in forcing the step-box forward and resisting endwise movement of the shaft, thusholding the antifriction devices in contact with the end of the shaft; but when the pressure between the grindingsurfaces is unduly increased said spring will yield. thereby permitting the step-box to move back, carrying with it theadjusting-nut N and antifriction devices and their adjusting means; but when the pressure is relieved the spring will instantly return the step-box, and through it the shaft and runner-head thereon, to their normal positions. 1 thus provide a simple and efficient end-thrust step-bearing which will move back independently of the quickrelease device when the end thrust of the shaft overcomes the tension of the spring and may be further moved bodily by the action of the quick-release mechanism without affecting the arrangement-of its parts or requiring readjustment to restore the grinding plates or burs to their original or normal positions. Thus any excess of pressure may be instantly relieved by automatic action of the step-box,

cause breakage or injury to the mill may be instantly relieved by the operation of the quick-release mechanism, and at any time the operator may so desire he may instantly release the grinding-surfaces, so as to stop grinding, while the mill continues to run indefinitely without any injury to either runnerhead or grinding-surfaces, and'the grinding may be resumed whenever desired without any change in the grade or quality of the work and without rendering it necessary to turn a screw or do anything except restore the release-actuating lever to its normal position, and all this is accomplished by the exertion of very little force and without the loss of time which results from manipulating a system of levers or other devices in which a considerable throw of the lever is necessarybefore even a partial release of the grinding-surfaces is permitted, with consequent liability to injure the mill, as well as requiring considerable effort to accomplish the desired result.

It will be seen that the pivotal connection of the pull bars or links L with the sleeve or collar K and of the short arms of the lever I. with the fixed or stationary step-box casing K are arranged in the same horizontal plane, while the pivotal connections between the actuating-lever and said pull bars or links are slightly below said plane and in front of the lever-pivots, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Hence the strain or pull of the links on the lever when in its normal position is below the center or pivot on which the lever rocks, and consequently tends to hold said lever down or more tightly to its seat as the pull thereon is increased, whereby the lever is automatically locked and sustained in its normal position, while the curvature or how in the links receives the lever-pivots at a point between the pivotal connections of the links with the lever and step-collar, thus providing a very effective but short and quick throw of the lever without any lost motion to release the grinding-surfaces, the lever and links being adapted to throw back the stepcollar,an(,l with it the step-box and its connections, he instant the lever has moved sufliciently to bring its pivotal connection with the links beyond or past the plane in which the pivot or center of motion of the lever lies, thus enabling the operator to throw the grinding-surfaces out of action in an instant and with very little effort, which effort is still further minimized by the aid of the spring when a spring-pressed stepbox is used in connection with the releasing device, as shown, as it is obvious that when the spring is abnormally compressed, as when a foreign substance enters between the grindingsurfaces and forces the shaft back, the stepbox will recede, while the step-collar remains stationary, and as the tension of the spring is increased its recoil will throw back the collar, and with it the releasing-lever and links, (until stopped by the adjusting-nut N,) the instant the lever is moved to effect the desired release of'the grinding-surfaces, and thereby avoid injury to the mill in case a foreign sub stance liable to cause such injury should get in between such surfaces. The adjustment having been made exactly right for grinding before the lever is thrown down, it is apparent that upon returning the lever to its upright position it will again bring the runner-head or grinding-surfaces in exactly the same position for grinding as before. The operation of this upright lever being instantaneous, the relief from the pressure of thespring on the grinding-surfaces is correspondingly quick, so that only the time required for throwing the lever over is necessary to completely release the grinding-surfaces of the mill and no turning of hand-wheels or other adjustment is necessary, as would be the case were the step-box a part of the main bearing.

Nhile I have shown and described my improved quick-release device combined with a spring pressed step box which will yield against the end thrust or end wise pressure of the shaft of the runner-head and at snclrtimes aid in the backward throw of the releasing devices, 1 do not desire to limit the application of the releasing device to such or any special form of bearing, for itis obvious that it may be otherwise applied. Furthermore, whileI preferably employ a double bell-crank and a pair of links for effecting the quick release asingle lever and link similarly constructed might beused in some cases, and I therefore do not desire to be restricted to the specific form and arrangement of parts shown and described. I also preferably employ a spring-actuated device adapted to cooperate with the quick-release in effecting the instantaneous release or separation of the grinding-surfaces when this quick-release lever is operated, though such device might be dispensed with. It may consist, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, of a spring R, interposed between a fixed collar S and a loose washer or sleeve T, placed on the shaft between the bearing D and the hub of the pulley G, the collar S being secured on the shaft A by a set-screw r or other means and recessed to receive the coiled or other suitable spring, which in the form shown has one end seated in a socket in the inner wall of the collar and the other end similarly seated against the washer T. When the quick-release lever is operated, the collar by being securely fastened on the shaft immediately pushes the shaft back, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, where a separation is shown between the collar and loose washer. The spring also prevents or counteracts any tendency which the runner-head might have to run against its neighbor should the mill momentarily become empty during a change of grain or from any other cause. It also prevents any disarrangement of the chill-plates of the antifriction end-thrust bearing and of the balls between said plates. While the machine is in motion very little pressure is required to cause the runner-heads to separate, so that the spring in the collar may be very weak as compared with the spring for controlling the grinding.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States. is

1. A quick-release device for grinding-mills comprising, in combination with a fixture and movable bearing for the shaft of one of the grinding-disks, a dead-point elbow-lever having its shorter arm pivoted to said fixture, and a bowed link curved over the pivot of said lever and pivotal] y connecting the elbow of said lever with said movable bearing.

2. A quick-release device for grinding-mills comprising, in combination with a fixed casing and a movable bearing therein for the shaft of one of the grinding-disks, a bibranched deadpoint elbow-lever having its shorter arms pivoted to opposite sides of the casing, and bowed links curved over the pivots of said lever and pivotally connecting the elbows thereof with said movable bearing.

3. A quick-release device for grinding-mills comprising, in combination with a fixture and movable bearing for the shaft of one of the grinding-disks. a lever pivoted to said fixture, and a bowed link or links curved over the pivot or pivots thereof and pivotal] y connecting said lever and movable bearing, sa'id link or links being connected to said lever at a point which, when the parts are in position to hold the grinding-disks together, lies in advance of and slightly below the plane of the pivotal connections of the lever and fixture and link and bearing.

4:. In combination with the movable springpressed step-box and its inclosing casing, a quick-release device comprising a dead-point elbow-lever having its short arm pivoted to said casing, a sleeve or collar slidably fitted on said step-box, an overcurved link pivotally connecting said lever and sleeve, and means for moving back the step-box with said sleeve.

5. In combination with the stationary casing. the step-box slidably arranged therein having a flange or stopat one end and a sleeve or collar adjustably secured thereon at the other end, a spring interposed between said stop and collar, means for adjusting said collar to vary the tension of the spring, and a quick-release device consisting of a bibranched lever having dead-point elbow members, the shorter arms of which are pivoted at their ends to said casing, and a pusheand -pull bar or link at each side of the casing pivotally connecting said collar with the elbows of said lever members, whereby the recoil of the spring under abnormal conditions will aid the throw of the lever in releasing the grindingsurfaces, substantially as described. 7 s

6. The slidable step-box having an adjustable collar thereon, a spring on the step-box interposed between a stop thereon and said collar and yieldingly pressing the step-box forward, an adjusting-screw and locking devices therefor, together with an end-thrust bearing fitting in said step-box and sustained against the end of the grinder-shaft by said adjusting-screw, in combination with means for bodily moving said step-box and bearing to effect an instantaneous relief of the grinding-surfaces independent of the automaticmovement of the latter for relieving said surfaces, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the endwise-movable shaft carrying a runner-head, and a confronting grinding-surface, a slidable endthrust bearing for said shaft, an adjustingscrew tapped through said bearing and sustaining the end thrust of the shaft, a spring adapted to yieldingly resist movement of the shaft with said bearing, and manually-operated mechanism adapted to positively instantaneously move said bearing together with said spring independently of the automatic movement permitted by said spring to permit the grinding-surfaces to separate, substantially as described.

8. In agrinding-mill-adjusting mechanism, the combination with the endwise-movable shaft for one of the grinding-disks, of a movable end-thrust bearing therefor, a positive quickrelcase device for said bearing, and an independcntly-acting spring surrounding the bearing and yieldingly resisting endwise movement of said shaft in a direction to separate the grinding-surfaces and not affected by action of said quick-release device.

9. In a grinding-mill-adjusting mechanism, the combination with the endwise-movable shaft for one of the grinding-disks, of a movable end-thrust bearing therefor, an adjusting-screw mechanism acting directly on the shaft, a positive quick-release device for said bearing, and a spring associated and movable with said bearing yieldingly resisting end wise movement of the shaft in a direction to separate the grinding-surfaces.

10. In combination with the casing having the quick-releasing lever pivotally mounted thereon, the step-box slidably fitted in said casing, and a link or links pivoted at one end to said lever and at the other end to a part mounted on said step-box, said part being adapted to permit longitudinal movement of the step-box while it remains stationary and to positively move the step-box therewith when it is moved by said lever and links, and means yieldingly resisting longitudinal movement of said step-box with relation to said part, substantially as described.

11. In combination with a fixed casing, a spring-pressed step-box for the shaft slidably arranged therein, a member mounted on said step-box limiting its forward movement by abutment against said casing, and means for vsaose quickly moving back said member together with said spring-pressed step-box to permit backward movement of the shaft, substantially as described.

12. In combination with a fixed casing, a step-box slidable therein, a collar or sleeve mounted on said step-box so as to permit the latter to slide backward but not forward relatively thereto, said collar limiting forward movement of the step box by abutment against said casing, a spring interposed between said collar and a suitable stop on the step-box actuating the latter forward, and means for moving said collar backward and forward and thereby moving the step-box.

13. In combination with an end wise-movable runner-shaft, a movable step-box therefor, a fixed casing in which said step-box is slidably fitted, a collar mounted on said stepbox so as to permit the latter to slide backward but not forward relatively thereto, said collar limiting forward movement of the step-box by abutment against said casing, a spring interposed between said collar and a suitable abutment on the step-box actuating the latter forward; a quick-release lever pivoted to said casing, and a link or links connected to said lever and to said collar, substantially as described.

14. In combination with an end wise-movable runner-shaft, a movable end-thrust bearing therefor, a member movably connected to said bearing with relation to which the latter is capable of a limited backward movement, a spring acting between said member and bearing ,yieldingly resisting endwise movement of the bearing and the shaft, a fixture, and means mounted on said fixture and connected to said member adapted to move the bearing together with said spring backward and forward to release the grinding-surfaces and bring them together.

15. A quick-release device for grindingmills having, in combination, a fixed casing, a movable step-box therein for the shaft of a grinding-disk, a movable collar surrounding the step-box, a spring interposed between said collar and a suitable abutment on the stepbox, a throw-out lever pivoted to said casing, a link or links connecting said lever and collar, and means for moving back the step-box with said collar.

16. A ("mick-release device for grindingmills having, in combination, a fixed casing, a movable step-box for a shaft therein externally flanged at its end nearer to the disk carried by said shaft, a spiral compression-spring surrounding the step-box and seated against said flange, a movable collar surrounding the step-box and forming the other abutment for said spring, and a throw-out lever pivoted to said casing and a link or links connecting the same with said collar.

17. A quick-release device for grindingmills having, in combination, a movable step- .box for the shaft of a grinding-disk, a movable collar surrounding.thestep-box, a stop limiting backward movement of the collar on the step-box, a spring acting between the collar and step-box and pushing the latter forwardly, and a lever connected to said collar.

18. A quick-release device for grindingmills having, in combination, a movable stepbox for the shaft of a grinding-disk, a movable collar surrounding the step-box, a compression-spring acting between said collar and a suitable abutment onthe step-box, an adj usting-nut carried by the step-box and abutting said collar for adjusting the tension of said spring, and a lever connected to said collar. I

19. A quick-release device for grindingmills having, in combination, afixed casing, a movable step-box for the shaft of a grinding-disk located in said casing and having a forwardly-disposed flange, a spiral compression-spring surrounding the step-box and seated against said flange, a movable collar surrounding the step-box and forming the other abutment for said spring, a throw-out lever pivoted to said casing and connected to said collar, and an adjusting-nut carried by said step-box abutting against the rear side of said collar.

. 20. In combination with a fixture and a movable bearing for the shaft of one of the grinding-surfaces, a quick-release device comprisingabell-crank lever havinga shorter arm pivoted to said fixture and a link connecting said lever and movable bearing, said link having a curved or bowed part overlying the pivot of the lever and connected to said lever at a point which when the parts are in normal or grinding position lies in advance of and slightly below theplane of the pivotal connections of the lever and fixture and of the link and bearing, substantially as described.

21. In combination with a fixture and a movable bearing for the shaft of one of the grinding-surfaces, a quick-release device comprising a double bell-crank lever having its shorter arms pivoted to said fixture, at opposite sides of the shaft, and links pivotally connected to said movable bearing and bowed or curved over the pivots of said lever-arms and pivoted to the latter at a point which when the parts are in normal or grinding position lies in advance of and slightly below the plane of I the pivotal connections of the lever-arms and fixture and of the links and bearing, substantially as described.

22. In combination with a fixture and a movable bearing for the shaft of one of the grinding-surfaces, a quick-release device comprising a leverpivoted to said fixture and a link connecting said lever and bearing, said link being curved or bowed over the pivot of the lever and pivoted to the latter at a point which when the parts are in normal or grinding position lies in advance of and slightly below the plane of the pivotal connections of the lever and fixture and of the link and bearing, substantially as described.

23. In combination with a stationary casing and a step-box for the shaft slidably [itted therein, a quick-release device comprising a double bell-crank lever pivoted to opposite sides of said casing and links connecting said lever and step-box, said links being pivoted to said lever at a point which when the parts are in normal or grinding position lies in advance of and slightly below the plane of the pivotal connections of the lever and casing and of the links and bearing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WALDRON.

Witnesses:

DANIEL E. BURNER, FREDERICK C. PETERMAN. 

